Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville has trolled old team-mate Rio Ferdinand after he confirmed his plans to become a boxer.

The 38-year-old is to train under ex-WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall and will compete in a series of fights with a view to a possible title bout.

Ferdinand has described the challenge as "the perfect opportunity to show people what's possible" as he attempts to establish a career in a new sport two years after retiring from football.

Neville, who enjoyed huge success alongside Ferdinand at United between 2002 and 2011, has moved to keep his friend's feet firmly on the ground by teasing him about the task ahead.

"When you're boxing, does Vidic come in and take the punches whilst you cover round the back with me?" Neville wrote to Ferdinand on Twitter, referencing his former United centre-back partner Nemanja Vidic.

Ferdinand quit football at the end of the 2014-15 season after spending the last year of his career with QPR.

He won several major honours at United after joining from Leeds United in 2002, including six Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.